Tolzien was Wilson’s predecessor at the University of Wisconsin, and several times last year, Tolzien sent Wilson congratulatory text messages after Badgers wins.

“It’s funny, because everyone gave him a hard time in the draft process that he was too small,” Tolzien said. “He’s a confident, humble guy and a good leader.”

Wilson, a 5-foot-11 rookie, leads the Seahawks (4-2) into Thursday night’s matchup with the host 49ers (4-2). Tolzien, a third-string quarterback, isn’t the only 49er who’s kept tabs on Wilson.

Cornerback Tarell Brown called Wilson a “complete player” who plays with uncanny poise and passes where receivers “can make plays.”

But no play has been more discussed than Wilson’s game-winning touchdown pass Sept. 24: a 24-yard heave that replacement officials awarded to Golden Tate for a 14-12 victory over the Green Bay Packers.

The Seahawks pulled out two other narrow wins since then: 16-12 at Carolina on Oct. 7 and 24-23 on Sunday against the visiting New England Patriots.

“What he’s done is exactly the formula you want for a rookie quarterback: Don’t be the reason your team loses,” former 49ers quarterback Steve Young said on ESPN’s “Monday Night Countdown.”

Another reason the Seahawks have fared so well is running back Marshawn Lynch — their “bread and butter,” according to 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio — as well as the NFL’s second-ranked defense in terms of points allowed.

But Wilson’s “sense of the moment” drew praise from Young, and Thursday night marks the Seahawks’ first return to prime-time since their controversial win over the Packers.

“Ever since I landed here in Seattle, everybody talks about the NFC West and how big this game is,” Wilson said Tuesday on a conference call with Bay Area media.

Wilson then downplayed the matchup as just “another game on the schedule.” His Seahawks, however, already are 0-2 in the division after road losses to the Arizona Cardinals and St. Louis Rams.

Drafted in the third round (75th overall), Wilson was named the Seahawks’ starter on Aug. 26 after beating out high-priced newcomer Matt Flynn, a former Packers backup who received a three-year, $26 million contract with $10 million guaranteed.

“He’s so real that everybody quickly accepts him,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said of Wilson. “He sounds like a guy that’s been prepared for years for this.”

That preparation included studying the best quarterbacks of all-time. Wilson specifically identifies with their “tremendous leadership, unbelievable attention to detail and competitive nature that’s relentless, and that’s what I try to bring to the field.”

Wilson also credited his ascension to past playing experiences, including two seasons as an infielder in the Colorado Rockies’ farm system.

Three months ago, however, Wilson was best known for his college-football prowess, first at North Carolina State before transferring last year to Wisconsin.

Helping him learn Wisconsin’s schemes before the 2011 season was Tolzien, who was preparing for his NFL rookie season and a guy Wilson referred to as “a huge Wisconsin alum that everyone loves.”

“He asked a couple questions about our offense but nothing crazy,” Tolzien said. “I’ve seen plenty of Russell’s leadership, and it shows the way he plays.”

Wilson has an 85.6 passer rating this season, completing 62.5 percent of his passes for 1,108 yards with eight touchdowns and six interceptions. Against the Patriots, he posted a 133.7 rating (16 of 27, 293 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions).

“He’ll be their quarterback for a long time,” Fangio said. “That’s a credit to them seeing through his height and picking him.”

Asked whether he’s more like Joe Montana or Steve Young, Wilson said his speed is akin to Young’s while his arm matches up more with Montana, if merely because “I’m a righty.” Montana, of course, was a third-round pick, too.

“I’m trying to get to their level,” Wilson said of Montana and Young. “They’re two amazing quarterbacks and men I’d like to be like someday.”

In a video clip recorded by a student, a psychology instructor at Orange Coast College told her class that the election of Donald Trump was “an act of terrorism” – prompting an official complaint from the school’s Republican Club.